Lake Shore
Hosp Authority

LSHA Public Record Issues Again.
Public Paying to Buy Auth Manager Berry Clothes

Posted February 9, 2015 10:35 am

By Stew Lilker

COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL –
Lake Shore Hospital Authority
Manager, Jackson P. "Jack" Berry supervises a staff of
two people. Mr. Berry's total compensation package costs
approximately $109,000 a year. The Lake Shore Hospital
does not have a uniform requirement. Last month Governor
Scott's Lake Shore Hospital Authority Board paid $171
for embroidered shirts for Manager Berry. It is not
clear if the Board knew what it was doing. Board member
Janet Creel did. She signed the check.

In
last month's Lake Shore Hosp Auth consent agenda was an
account payable item with a simple memo: "SHIRTS –
JACK." The complete consent agenda, which includes the
check register is not available at the Hospital
Authority meetings for inspection. That has been
suggested and ignored.

Florida law requires that "meeting materials
available in electronic form... shall [must] be
published on the Hospital Authority website. Manager
Berry and the Lake Shore Hosp Auth board do not do that.

The Lake Shore Hospital Authority check registers are
available in electronic form and are provided to the
Governor's appointees before the meetings. All Authority
board members have either been appointed or reappointed
by Gov. Scott. None has ever offered to share this
information with the public or made any effort to make
sure it was available. The check registers used to be
available at the meetings.

On January 20, 2015, Barbara Lemley visited the
Authority Hdq. She requested a copy of the invoice for
the shirts. She misstated the check number to be 198
instead of 1928.

The invoice was paid with check number 1928.

Ms. Lemley was provided with a copy of the invoice,
however she was not provided a copy of the check.

On or about January 22, Manager Berry emailed Ms.
Lemley in relevant part [as written]: The second part of
your request for a copy of check # 198, We have no
record of a check with that number, All of LSHA checks
have (4) four numbers.

The law and AGO opinions are crystal clear. If a
record is described in sufficient detail so that the
custodian or its representative can provide it, it must
be provided.

On January 29, Ms. Lemley resubmitted the request for
the check, this time writing out the number "1928."

Jack Berry has been intimately involved with the Lake
Shore Hosp Auth since 2004, as a board member; as board
chairman; and as the Authority Manager.

On January 29, Manger Berry emailed Ms. Lemley and
stated the following: "We do not maintain cancelled
checks in this office."

City Manager Wendell Johnson at the Authority. Mr.
Johnson is always dressed for business.

The next day, January 30 at 4:03 pm, your reporter
filed a public record request with the Authority asking
for the cancelled check.

At 6:39 am on Feb. 2, Manager Berry responded to Ms.
Lemley [as written]: After more research I have found
that we do maintain a copy of checks in this office, If
you will come by after lunch today a copy will be at the
front desk. There will be no charge.

At 7:48 am on Feb. 2, Manager Berry responded to the
Observer's record request: I have received your request
and will respond asap.

It is not clear why he didn't say the request would
be available.

The stonewalled check required 2 signatures

Manager Berry at an Economic Dev. Board meeting a short
way down the hall from his Auth office. (file photo)

The Authority's Procurement Policy requires two
signatures on the check for the shirts. Only Board
member, Janet Creel, signed the check.

The Authority did not pay sales tax on the shirts for
Mr. Berry's personal use. There is no dress code
requirement that an employee wear embroidered shirts
with the Authority logo. There is a requirement to
"present a clean, well-groomed and neat dress appearance
according to the requirements of their positions."

Epilogue

Hospital Authority Manager and Republican operative,
Jackson P. "Jack" Berry, has been a fixture in North
Central Florida for 40 years. He has compared his
responsibilities to City Manager Wendell Johnson on
numerous occasions. One is hard pressed to think of a
time that City Manager Johnson is not wearing a tie.

Manager Berry should take notice. The Board should
demand that the funds appropriated from the public be
returned and Mr. Berry pay for his own clothes.